finding the signal in an industry filled with noise
Just when Mercedes was starting to get its groove back, Mercedes and Chrysler have decided to share more parts. According to the article,
the company insists that the sharing of these parts won’t damage the manufacturers’ reputations.
How could it not?
Unlike the raped-ape V-12 flagship S65 AMG, which delivers all of its 604 horsepower in a sudden, twin-turbocharged atomic bomb explosion, the normally aspirated V-8 in the S63 is more linear and doesn’t suffer from turbo lag. As a result, the S63 is likely to be the true driver’s choice, even if it does produce almost 275 lb-ft less torque. – Automobile
“It took 90 years to build Mercedes’ image of quality, and less than 10 years to damage it severely. Dieter Zetsche has been directing the brand’s fate for a year. The quality of Mercedes cars has noticeably improved over that period, but a year is much too short a time to expect lasting results.” – Guido Reinking, editor of Automobilwoche as quoted in Automotive News
...Mercedes-Benz has improved upon the winning BMW formula. With the exception of the brakes (we’ll leave the styling of these two up to you), the S550 outclasses the 750Li in every way. COMAND is far more manageable than iDrive, and the Merc is faster and more capable than the BMW. The massive brakes on the 750 are still best-in-class, but the Benz’s capable chassis exposes the suspension flaws of the BMW. In sport mode, the big Bimmer rides too harshly over rougher surfaces, while comfort mode makes the car too soft. The Mercedes manages to find a happy medium. – Automobile
When I was younger, brand meant something; Mercedes Benzes were solid but stolid, Jags were distincitive but rough around the edges and everywhere else, Porsches were built to be driven in anger, and BMW baked near magic balance between ride and handling into every product it sold.
But today, in an age of mergers and acquisitions, marketing and accounting rather than engineering – call the shots. In a spectacular display of vanity, no one was content doing what they do best and has suffered for their hubristic attempt at winning over ‘crossover’ buyers. Lexus comfort has gone out the window in an attempt to be more like BMW, BMW and Porsche chassis are literally ruined by the big wheels dictated by a stylist’s pen. Meanwhile Jaguar and Mercedes Benz have recently quietly focused their attention on the details that make the difference between competent and competitive.
I never thought I’d live to see the day when Jaguars and Benzes key to the road more fluidly than a Porsche or BMW but as you read this comparison you’ll see my point.
Don’t trust brand, trust the feel of the final product.
Often when a new model is released, the press is so caught up in what’s been improved and is so taken in by the wining and dining they’ve just enjoyed that they say exactly what the manufacturer wants them to.
Then, come the first comparison or long term test the truth comes out. Sometimes – if the writer’s especially astute – it doesn’t take that long for someone to go against the marketing grain. Here’s an all-too-rare example:
The steering, despite having more feeling than ever in a big Merc, is still as tactile as glue. The big, shiny override paddles behind the wheel may be made of alloy, but the box still takes its own time to react, so you end up trusting the auto to do its thing and not bothering to flex your indexes… So the E63 is a mixed bag. A much better car than the E55, but not quite the car that makes people not want an M5… – Top Gear
The press is so giddy about AMG’s incredible new engine that they’re fawning over anything its dropped into. It’s important to remember that despite the fact that this is a completely AMG engine and Mercedes Benz is blazing a detail oriented comeback, the cars that are out now (SLK excepted) are conceived as passenger cars first, driver’s cars second.
(04.12.06)
While it doesn’t appear dramatically different to the existing model, Mercedes claims that at least 2000 parts in the new car are new ‘or further developments.’ On the safety front, the E-Class gains flashing brake lights to prevent rear-end collisions during a panic stop. Mercedes claims reaction time can be shortened by up to 0.2 seconds with flashing brakelights. As a result, the braking distance can be reduced by 5.50 metres at 62 mph. Mercedes is claiming a first with the Intelligent Light System, available as an option. There are specific modes for different conditions; country mode provides brighter, further illumination of the offside verge than the previous low-beam headlamps; motorway mode, activated automatically at speeds above 56 mph, produces an even light cone that extends to a range of up to 120 metres, illuminating the entire road width; enhanced fog lamps reduce backglare in dense fog. To counter the long held perception that Mercs are comfortable but BMWs are better to drive, the E-Class gains steering that is around ten percent more direct than before, which should at least give the feeling of more responsive steering. There are also newly developed spring link bearings that contain lateral forces more effectively when cornering, which should aid a neutral and balanced cornering attitude. [Certain] models come with the amusingly titled ‘rebound buffer springs’, which are said to limit body roll through corners. – 4Car
UPDATE: Perhaps the most significant change is one you’ll feel every time your foot moves for the brake pedal:
As with the latest S-class, Merc has ditched the E-class’s problematic electronically operated Sensotronic brakes for a new hydraulic system offering more progressive pedal action and greater bite. – Autocar
even on a relatively straight road at cruising pace, the steering needs constant inputs. Refinement is appalling, too – there’s plenty of road noise from the tyres, while wind roar from the almost flat windscreen is noticeable from only 50mph. And if you catch a pothole, the stiff suspension sends the crash shuddering through the cockpit. The smoothness of progress is also undermined by the five-speed auto gearbox, which slurs slowly through its changes, and kicks down roughly as soon as the throttle is pressed… it’s only enjoyable in small doses – as a long-term prospect, this G-Wagen is just too extreme. – AutoExpress
...than what the company has put out over the past decade requires more money and longer development times. Luckily that’s precisely what they’re going back to...
New overall DaimlerChrysler boss Dieter Zetsche… claims new [quality] control measures will start to push the company up the rankings soon, saying the current, costly problem facing Mercedes is dealing with the legacy of cars built before the drive to raise quality was started… Zetsche said: ‘This is costly, but you also cannot get to the top unless you engineer and build-in quality in the first place.’ [He] concedes that while the Mercedes brand has 100 years of valuable history to draw on in the bid to win buyers, ‘There have been a number of years were we have been withdrawing from this account rather than paying in.’ – whatcar.com